Basically he knows biologically he’s a boy but we don’t want him to have the constrains of a gender yet. We want him to explore both sides of the spectrum and then decide when he’s older.

Eamonn Holmes, who was interviewing the couple, alongside Ruth Langsford, asked if they’re creating problems for him, by referring to him as a boy.

Louise answered:

I think it’s a case of allowing him to express himself. It’s very common these days for men to walk around in salmon shirts, or some like to call it pink. By wearing that salmon shirt it doesn’t mean ‘oh I’m feeling very feminine today’, no, it’s just a case of, you’ve picked out a shirt that matches your outfit.

ITV

Ruth asked the couple how everything would work when their son starts school later this year and asked if they were ‘concerned’ it could set him up for a ‘little bit of interest’ from the other kids.

Nikki said:

He can say if he’s a boy or a girl, we don’t say ‘you can’t say that’, he can say that whenever he wants.

What we say is, ‘do what you want’, basically, as long as you’re safe. We know when he goes to reception that it could form interest. We’ve sat down with his school and said ‘look he’s going to come in a boys’ uniform’, obviously because he needs particular support in particular areas but we’ve compromised with him, rather than traditionally boys’ socks, he’s having pink socks.

ITV

Viewers were quick to take to Twitter to share their thoughts, some believed the Nikki and Louise were being unfair, others said they were simply giving their child freedom.

You want your child to be able to make their own decisions, and yet you're forcing the child to have no gender? #ThisMorning